Jakarta Sees Surge in Fires, West Jakarta Most Affected; Experts Cite Safety Standards and El Niño

The Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency (Gulkarmat) of DKI Jakarta Province revealed that a total of 1,216 fire incidents occurred in Jakarta from January 1 to August 31 this year. The Head of the DKI Jakarta Province Gulkarmat Agency, Bayu Meghantara, even stated that the number of fire incidents continues to increase each month, rising from 141 incidents in June to 217 incidents in July and 240 incidents in August. Based on the recap of fire incidents in DKI Jakarta Province, West Jakarta is the city with the highest number of fire incidents throughout 2026. "As many as 368 or 30.26 percent of fires occurred in West Jakarta," said Bayu on Wednesday (23/9). Following West Jakarta, 299 cases or 24.59 percent of fires occurred in East Jakarta. Then, 252 cases or 20.72 percent of fires were reported in South Jakarta. The Gulkarmat Agency stated that electricity is the main cause of fires. Data shows that electricity is the suspected main cause in 649 cases or 53.37 percent of fire incidents in Jakarta. Other causes of fires include burning trash, gas, human negligence, and cigarettes. Meanwhile, residential areas, public buildings and trade, as well as external electrical installations, were reported to be the objects most frequently burned. On the other hand, the Speaker of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Suhud Alynudin, highlighted the many buildings that do not pay attention to safety standards. He also questioned the absence of fire potential detection devices and the scarcity of portable fire extinguishers (APAR) inside buildings. He also urged the DKI Provincial Government through the Gulkarmat Agency to take preventive measures. This is especially considering the threat of El Niño, which is predicted to last until January 2027. Most recently, a fire hit a settlement on Jalan Teuku Nyak Arif, RT 05/01, Kebayoran Lama Utara, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (22/9) night. The fire, suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit in one of the houses, resulted in 18 houses and four business premises being burnt down. A total of 150 people were reported to be affected by the fire. The total loss is estimated to reach Rp1.2 billion. Source: CNN Indonesia